Across the Fandom
by msfcatlover
Summary: My oneshots from the Across the Fandom pairing collaberation. Will always be complete as each chapter can stand on its own.
1. Author's Note

Across the Fandom is a collaberative project I'm a part of. Our goal is to write a oneshot for every canon pairing. We're also allowed to publish our oneshots on our pages, so here's mine!

All oneshots: www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/s/7000715/1/Across_the_Fandom


	2. ShadXAshei

Ashei walked up behind the copper-haired young man and stood there, waiting expectantly for him to notice her. He didn't. After about fifteen seconds, the blonde across the table muttered, "Someone to see you, Shad," making him jump and turn around swiftly.

He blushed. "Um, hi. Sorry about that, I tend to get a bit sucked into the books…"

"Well you're back now, yeah?" she responded with a smirk, grabbing the chair next to him and dropping into it.

"Well yes, I suppose so." He smiled nervously at her, and pushed his glasses up his nose. "What do you need, Miss?"

Ashei snorted. "Miss? The name's Ashei."

"Sports queen extraordinaire," the blonde muttered again. She glared at him.

"You think you could beat me, yeah?"

"Oh, I don't _think_, you–"

"Link!" Shad gasped, appalled at his companion's language.

The blonde grimaced. "Sorry," he spat, not sounding sorry at all.

Shad turned back to Ashei. "You'll have to forgive him, he's just a bit bitter." A snort from the other end of the table declared this to be an understatement. "How can I help you, Mi-I mean, Ashei?"

"History, how else?"

She glared at Link. "If you can't keep your mouth shut, I'll shut it for you, yeah?"

He snorted again.

"Oh, please don't fight!" They both turned to stare at Shad. He bit his lip nervously. "Link, if the lady came to ask for assistance, we should help her without resorting to rudeness. You should _know_ that!" His friend muttered something under his breath.

Ashei sighed. "I just need help with history, yeah? Everyone knows you know this stuff back to front."

"And sideways," Link muttered, earning himself another glare.

Shad, however, just nodded. "Well, I suppose I do. Umm…"

"I need to know a rough history of Hyrule, enough to get at least a B minus, by next this time in two months, yeah?"

He gave her a warm smile. "Oh, I think we can manage that."

"Why do you keep saying 'we,'" The blonde was glaring at them now. "when you know all I contribute are the commentaries?"

* * *

><p>"And who came after the Hero of Time?"<p>

"The Wanderer, yeah?"

If it had been anyone but Shad, the notecards would've been on the floor in tiny pieces. Instead, all he did was sigh, pinch the bridge of his nose and correct her. "No, the Hero of Winds is the next _confirmed_ Hero. If you want to take a gamble, you say the Hero of Twilight."

"Gotcha."

"Do you?" They both shot exasperated looks to the boy at the end of the table. "That's the third time in the last four days you've gotten that, _specific question_, wrong. What happens when it gets mixed up, changed, or left out?" he explained. Shad nodded.

"Link's right. From now on, I'll shuffle the cards before we begin." He glanced at his watch and paled. "Oh dear! I need to go, I'm expected at the library in ten minutes!"

Ashei sighed as she helped clean up the mess. "Next week we'll try timelines, yeah?"

"Oh? You're not coming tomorrow?"

"No. Fridays I have fencing." He nodded, and they went their separate ways.

Link glanced up from his own homework and smiled.

* * *

><p>It quickly settled into a rhythm. Thursdays they left early, so Shad could get to his job at the library, and Fridays he sat and wrote up a plan for the next week. And Link sat and watched them.<p>

"Are you sure she's worth all this effort?" he asked one Friday. Shad had blushed and fidgeted with his glasses, a gesture his friend knew meant he wasn't comfortable with the topic.

"Well, she has so much trouble; I just feel we should do everything we can to help."

"I really wish you'd stop including me in that 'we'. Do you at least know why she needs a B minus? I mean, C is passing."

"She told me her parents will cancel her fencing lessons if she doesn't bring her grade up."

"Fencing means a lot to her, huh?"

"I suppose so."

"Huh." And Link went back to his math textbook.

* * *

><p>Ashei paused outside of the library. <em>I should really pick up some books of my own, yeah? Should've done it weeks ago, <em>she told herself, and opened the door.

The history section had nothing but dry old tomes she could tell by looking at would put her to sleep before she got past the first page. _But don't they make children's books from some of the legends? Those should be more exciting…_ She headed for the stairs.

After the second flight, she heard a familiar voice.

"Right, what shall we read today?" Shad asked. There was a chorus of small voices, and he laughed. She smiled. _He has a nice laugh. He should use it more._ "Alright, alright," He called, trying to make himself heard over the children. "The tale of the Hourglass it is!" She crept down another flight, settled down on the second to last step, still hidden within the stairwell. "Our story truly begins long before our story begins…"

And from there it unfolded. He described epic battles, powerful weapons, a vast sea filled with evil, preying on the very people who lived there. It was impossible to tell what he was reading from, if anything, as he gave everything his own twist, a dash of humor and, closing her eyes, Ashei could imagine the hand gestures he was probably using to help paint this mural of words. The great monster Bellum battled with the Ocean King for supremacy of the lands and the seas around them, and the poor Hero struggled to help every- and anyone he met, all while battling Bellum's forces. Shad's voice rose and swelled, only to dip down to a whisper she had to lean forwards to hear.

"He's amazing, isn't he?" a voice asked right next to her ear. Ashei jumped, and stared at the girl. She was tallish, and blonde, though there were a few rebellious pink streaks mixed in. She smiled. "You must be Ashei. I'm Zelda, Link's little sister." _Oh._ Well, that explained why she looked familiar.

Zelda sat down on the step above her and leaned against the wall. "Can you believe he gets this stuff from those dusty old things upstairs? He just goes through, studies the details, and throws in a healthy dose of excitement. And he's the only one who can tell a story well enough to shut the little brats up long enough for the rest of us to get an Advil." Ashei's worried glance was met with a laughing smile. "I'm joking."

"Oh. Good." The Hero was making his way through the boiling hot Fire Temple, filled with quicksand, monsters that couldn't be hurt, Beamos, and–

"You know, my brother says you've done Shad a world of good. He doesn't have many friends."

"Huh?" _What did she say?_ The Hero was teaming up with a young Goron…

"Oh, sorry. I won't interrupt the story again."

* * *

><p>"…and as they argued, as they always did, the Hero checked his pockets. And do you know what he found there?" Shad smiled as the children, even the ones who'd heard the story before, leaned forwards. "A small hourglass, with gold rims around the top and bottom, made of blue glass. Running to the opposite rail, he watched as a ship <em>just like the one he'd just spent so much time on<em>, chugging off towards the horizon. Three colored balls bobbed and played over it, and he could just make out a man in a captain's jacket at the wheel." He sighed happily and leaned back. The children, sensing that the story was over, immediately went back to chattering. A round of applause drew his attention to the stairs, where Zelda was standing. And beside her…

He shot to his feet. "A-Ashei! What are you?"

"That was pretty good, yeah? You have talent." She smiled. A real smile, too, not the smirks she normally gave him. He flushed and scrambled to his feet.

"Well, n-not really, I mean, i-it's just facts…"

"It's amazing is what it is!" Zelda laughed, as she rounded up the kids. "I'm always telling him he should get a job narrating," she added to Ashei.

"It's nothing like that…"

"It is!" they said in perfect unison. He looked back and forth between them for a minute, before dropping back into his chair and laughing. Though he didn't see it, Ashei's eyes softened a bit.

* * *

><p>"So, Zelda tells me you dropped in on one of Shad's reading lessons?"<p>

"Yeah?" Ashei narrowed her eyes suspiciously in Link's general direction. But, for once, he wasn't on the attack.

"Do you remember what it was about?"

"Yeah."

"Can you tell me about it?"

She hesitated for a second, but, not seeing how it could hurt, she launched into a rough retelling of the tale of the Hourglass. As she spoke, the blonde's grin slowly widened.

"Just as I thought," he chuckled, thumbing through his textbook.

"What?" Shad asked, coming around the bookshelf with a stack of charts.

"She remembers your story."

"So? We're studying history, yeah?" She glanced at Shad, who also looked confused, until Link slapped down the textbook. It was open to a section titled **The Warping of Time and Space and how it Affected the Hero of Winds**.

She stared.

"That _was_ history!" Link declared proudly, "You remembered history!"

"No, I remembered a story, yeah?"

"Yes! So we just have to make history _less like history!_" She continued to stare at him in confusion. Shad sighed.

"Have I ever told you Link is the regional chess champ?" he murmured, sitting down next to her. "He's very good at looking at things from different angles."

"He's just not giving us one we can understand, yeah?"

The blonde scowled at them. "I'm trying to tell you that in order to remember the history, you just have to remember the stories!"

"Took you that much time to say _that?_" Her tone was scathing.

"…Shut up," he muttered.

And so their study sessions turned into story sessions, with the boys quizzing her on the details when the tale was over. It was more fun than she'd ever expected.

And the best part was definitely that she got to see Shad laugh.

* * *

><p>The day of the test crept up on them. One Friday, Ashei came in waving a piece of paper with a large, red A- scrawled across the top.<p>

"_Finally_ some peace and quiet!" Link crowed triumphantly. Shad gave her a weak smile and a soft congratulations, not looking too pleased about it.

She was oblivious. "Mr. Fin said he had to take points off for 'taking liberties with history,' but it's still so much more than I hoped, yeah? So I'm taking you both out for a surprise!"

"When?" Shad asked.

"Right now, silly!" She laughed, grabbing his wrist and dragging him out the door. Link smiled and grabbed their bags on his way out the door.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Dojo! We call it that because most of us started in karate here when we were little, yeah?" She beamed. "I thought you'd like to see some of our practice matches, so I pulled a few strings with the Sensei. I have to go change, yeah?" Another student came and showed them to a side bench that was probably usually occupied by doting parents. Shad pulled out a book out of the bag Link thrust at him and settled down to wait.<p>

He wasn't sure how long it'd been when Link poked him in the ribs and muttered, "Look already, will you?" making him turn his attention away from the book.

It never went back. The fights, even with their safely blunted foils, did not lack for deadly grace. He didn't know the rules, or the moves, and it was clear nobody was keeping score for the fights, but it was still mesmerizing. And when Ashei took the mat…she obviously dominated every match she was given. It was like a dance. A beautiful, graceful, seemingly deadly dance. And it took his breath away.

Afterwards, she came up to them again. Sweat plastered her black hair to her face and neck, and she was breathing heavily, but her eyes were shining and a wide grin split her face. "Pretty cool, yeah?" she panted, "It's thanks to you guys I can still do this."

_How could her parents have even threatened to take this away from her,_ he wondered, _when she clearly loves it so much?_ He knew how he'd feel if his father tried to take his books.

Link gave him a look that clearly said "She's worked hard for this, say something!"

"It's amazing, Ashei," Shad murmured. "Just amazing."

She beamed at him.

* * *

><p>Time passed. She came with him every Thursday to listen to his stories. He went with her when she participated in tournaments. Link, Zelda, and one of Ashei's friends, Malon came as well to the latter, but Thursday s felt special for some reason. And when the End of the Year Dance (their school was too small for a prom) rolled around, it was unanimously decided that they'd go as a group.<p>

Shad sat back and watched his friends mingle with the crowd. An uproarious laugh from his left could only be Zelda, and the crowd of girls around the refreshments suggested Link wasn't coming back with his punch anytime soon. He sighed. _Too bad, I'm thirsty. I really should have insisted on getting it myself._

A petite redhead in a pink gown bounced over, grinning. "_Sha-ad!_" she called, drawing his name out into two syllables. "When are you gonna ask Ashei to _da-ance?_"

He blinked. "Malon, what are you going on about?"

She propped one hand on her hip and pouted. "C'mon! You're a boy, she's a girl, you _ob-vi-ous-ly_ like eachother. When. Are. You. Going. To. Ask–"

"I get it!" He sighed again. "Not tonight. First of all, I can't dance. Second of all, it's not like that."

Malon clapped. "I _lo-ve_ how you've made romance the second priority! And for your information, one: you don't have to _dance_-dance, it's the concept that counts. And two: if it isn't, it _should be!_"

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Malon, I'm not going to argue with you."

"_Yay!_"

"And I'm not going along with one of your matchmaking schemes, either." Her jaw dropped as he turned and made his way out of the gym.

Link appeared behind her, holding two punch cups. "You'd think they'd never seen a guy before, the way they're acting over–Malon, where'd Shad go?"

She turned around with a bright smile. "_Li-ink!_ Would you lend me a hand?"

"With what?"

* * *

><p>Ashei dropped into a chair and slipped out of her heels with a groan. <em>My poor feet…<em>

"Punch?" She looked up, startled.

"Link. You didn't get that punch for me, yeah?"

He grinned. "True, but Shad's disappeared on me." The blonde dropped into the chair beside her. "Seen him?"

"Shad? No."

"Pity. I was hoping he'd finally gotten up the guts."

"To what?"

"I dunno. To talk to you about something."

Ashei sat bolt upright. "What?"

There was a long pause, before Link sighed. "Malon might love to play matchmaker, but she has a good eye. I suppose he's never going to tell you, either…"

"What are you talking about, yeah?"

"_Ash-ei!_"

"I guess I don't have to explain."

Malon bounced into the seat on her friend's other side. "_Ash-ei!_ I'm amazed you haven't noticed yet!" The redhead shook a finger in the other girl's face. "Shad _really likes_ you!"

"…What?"

"I'm leaving," Link muttered.

"Oh no you're not!" Malon grabbed the back of his jacket with one hand and turned back to Ashei. "You're the queen of just-friendships, and Shad's the king of shyness, but I'm amazed neither of you has noticed this yet! You _really like_ him too, right?"

Ashei turned helplessly to Link, who threw his hands in the air in a "And what can _I_ do?" gesture. She sighed.

"Malon, Shad and I will not be one of your little projects, yeah?" She stood. Link made another attempt at escape, forcing Malon to grab his jacket with both hands.

"Don't you walk out on me too!" she whined.

"You've tried this one Shad? !" Link exclaimed, "No wonder he disappeared!"

Ashei turned and hurried off into the crowd. There was a moment of silence before Malon smiled.

"Nice work."

"Just let go of my jacket."

* * *

><p>"Shad?" He looked up at the surprised voice, and managed a weak smile.<p>

"Oh, hi Ashei."

"Yeah." She slid to the floor beside him. "Malon pulled one of her stunts on you too, yeah?"

He chuckled. "Indeed. Hiding?"

"No. Couldn't go any farther. My shoes killed my feet, yeah?"

A frown creased his forehead. "But you're not wearing any shoes…"

"Exactly." They shared a smile. In the gym, the song changed from a slow dance to something with a beat. The lyrics were muffled beyond recognition, but it still sounded familiar. Ashei leaned back and hummed along for a bit.

"You?" she finally asked.

"What?"

"You are hiding from her, yeah?"

"Yes."

"I understand." He turned, surprised, and found himself face to face with one of those small, surprising smiles. "She can be intimidating sometimes, yeah?"

"Yes."

"Hmmm." She went back to humming. He stared at their reflection in the windows and wondered if he'd ever have the courage to be anything more than friends with her. He wondered what would happen if he turned and asked her exactly what she thought of him right now…

"We'd be cute, yeah?"

"_What?_"

"That's what Malon and the others think. That we'd be cute together." She sighed. "It's no one else's business, yeah? Who we decide to be with?"

"No. That is, it's for us to choose. Not them."

"Hmmm. Shad?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for helping me, yeah?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

And when the others found them asleep in the hall, leaning against eachother, their smiles were even wider.


	3. HenaXLink

Every day. Every day he came and took a boat out. Sometimes he'd bring back a fish or two, but mostly he just sat there and stared at the water.

And Hena'd watch.

She'd asked around. The sweet boy who came and fished had as many stories and good deeds as he had admirers, and that was not a small number. And one that had increased a bit recently, she could tell.

She did have the feeling he was in mourning. Something had happened that no one had seen, and it had shattered that innocent heart of his. So she kept the fluttering beat her heart took on whenever he was there a secret. _Let him mourn,_ she told herself as she stared out the window at his hunched figure, _right now, the last thing he needs is another fangirl._

And so she kept quiet.

-S-

Every day. Every day he sat out on that lake. Sat and stared and wished he could forget.

He knew she watched.

She watched and worried about the boy who'd been her friend. Who'd come and gone during his adventure, happy, joking. But ever since the mirror broke… he didn't have a purpose. There were no duties he was shirking to come here and fish. No Midna silently fuming at how carefree he managed to act.

Midna… She was a great friend. Had she been something more? He still couldn't figure that out. _Maybe,_ he thought with a sigh. _I should probably talk to someone about it all… but who could I unload that burden on?_

And so he kept quiet.

-S-

Hena sighed as he paddled his boat to the edge of the lake, forcing her to return to her post behind the counter. He tried to smile as he handed over two tiny trout. He failed.

Dumping the fish into the tank, Hena tried to find their old connection. "Hey, aren't you ever going to try out that game? I just got a new level for it, but you have to work your way up, you know."

He blinked. "I…guess?"

"Here." She thrust the first level, the one he'd tried twice and given up on, into his hands. "Occupy yourself. It'll be good for you."

_Occupy…_ wasn't that just what he'd needed? Something to focus on, a goal? Without knowing it, Hena had given Link the first real step towards recovery.

He smiled again.

This time he succeeded.

-S-

Hena laughed when he cheered, showing that he'd completed another level. Ever since he'd started playing, he'd been more like his old self. More cheerful, enthusiastic. It was good to see him smile again.

"Careful there!" she joked, watching him shoot off the bench to come beg her for the next level, "You'll break the pots. Those cost money, you know!"

"I could pay you back," he responded, picking u the next board.

"I know. Maybe I should charge you for those games; I'd certainly pull in a larger profit than I am with the fishing hole."

He paused, letting that sink in. "You don't make a lot?"

She sighed. "It was a joke… but no. You're really my only customer." Then, with a frown, "But I don't want any charity, mind you!"

He nodded slowly, taking in the information. And trying to figure out how to help without it being obvious.

_I have a new goal._

-S-

She could never figure out how he did it, but suddenly there were many people stopping in for a quick spin around the lake and "maybe some fishing. While I'm here." Hena just _knew_ he was behind it, but she could not see _how_. And everyday he sat on the bench and played the game. Looking very smug.

_At least he's happy,_ she told herself.

-S-

"What's next?"

She gave him a sad little smile. "Sorry, Link, that's the last level. I don't have any more."

He felt the void begin to open up again. "Really?"

Hena nodded. "Really."

"But…but…then what do I do?"

She pulled up her courage and reached out to gently touch his cheek. "Fish. Make friends. Heal. Be happy. You're good at that."

He blinked, remembering another, tinier hand that had touched his cheek in much the same way. Another girl he'd known too well to see clearly, until it was too late.

He swallowed, and she quickly pulled her hand away. "You're good at lots of things, Link," She continued, as though nothing had happened. "You just need to let yourself see them."

"And…you?"

She laughed. "I'm good at fishing. But I'll always be here if you need me at all during your travels."

He nodded slowly, trying to sort out his thoughts. That night, when he went to bed, he was still confused. But one thing stood out.

_Hena's hand had been warmer._


	4. Fem LinkXDark

A sigh drifted across Hyrule field. In one corner, a tiny campfire had burned down to embers, casting barely enough light to see the silhouettes of those who'd tended it.

The young man braced his foot against the Stalchild's skull and, with a tiny grunt, freed his sword. Slate-grey fingers ran through black bangs as he glanced at the other, curled up under a blanket by the fire. He sighed again.

"Honestly…" A smooth voice, unexpected from one so rough-looking. "You can sleep through anything can't you?" He dropped down on the ground beside her and poked what was left of the fire. "You don't know how lucky you are you didn't kill me… How did you ever survive before I came along?"

He wondered if anyone else knew her secret; he hadn't been around long enough to know if she'd told anyone. Her features walked that thin line between a beautiful woman's and a handsome man's, and her build was far from dainty. He knew for a fact she did no more to hide her body than any other girl, but her tunic hid the small curves under it shockingly well. Her voice, when she spoke, was a rough alto, once again walking the fine line between masculine and feminine.

He loved her despite it. Hell, he loved her _for_ it.

It was stupid. It was reckless. If anyone even found out he existed, he knew he would die. Most likely by her hand. It didn't matter.

They were supposed to have fought. Only one of them was supposed to have lived. But she'd looked so tired, so worn to the bone… It was one of the few things they had in common: something resembling a moral code. He couldn't do it.

She didn't know he existed.

He'd hid, had let her pass through. It had been so obvious she was female, wet tunic clinging to her, and he remembered being baffled by why a girl would set foot in such dangerous place. He also remembered being impressed by how far she'd come.

He'd followed. She was clever when it came to puzzles and battles, but she knew nothing about the world beyond that. He'd seen her other guide, and knew she thought it was _him _who left out edibles in obvious places, _him_ who guarded her while she slept. Let her believe that. What mattered was her safety.

Nothing else.

He brushed her bangs away from her face. It was definitely an attractive face, no matter how you looked at it, but he knew she didn't think so. She could, and did, point to scars that you'd never notice unless you knew what to look for. She bemoaned each one in private, not knowing how she'd ever explain them when the ruse was up. Who would want a girl who fought?

Who wouldn't love her spirit?

He could see her future more clearly than anything. She'd win the war, practically single-handedly, and set Hyrule to rights. Someone would let the populous in on her secret, and those flocking to her door would change from women to men. The crowd might be a bit thinner. Some of them would be attractive. She'd pick one of them, they'd get married, maybe they'd have kids. She wouldn't need him anymore.

Maybe family life would mellow her.

He hoped not.

His own future was less clear. The idea of her with anyone made his chest hurt, but he couldn't reveal himself. He wouldn't deny her her happiness; that would be wrong. He wasn't sure he could live knowing she was in another man's arms (and it would be a man, she'd made that clear in what she thought were private conversations with the fairy) but knew he could never take his own life.

He wondered how long the war would last.

The longer it went on, the worse she was. The more tired, worn. The less innocent. But if it ended tomorrow… he'd have no excuse to see her. To watch, to listen, to protect. By his own logic, by his own morals, he'd have to leave. And he'd be miserable, and she'd be none the wiser.

He gently ran his fingers down her cheek. She was so young, but so old at the same time. He'd heard people guess her age to be well into her thirties. They hadn't seen her like this. Asleep, all the years washed away from her face, all the fights, all the bravado. She looked not a day older than the ten years she actually had. It seemed a miracle to him, this complete transformation from haggard adult to child.

He heard a sound in the bushes. The monsters were back. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, and stood.

"Don't worry," he joked, "I'll take care of them.

"Sleep well, Link."


End file.
